Tie Breaker

Ford Sues John Cena for Flipping His GT Supercar

Ford Motor Company dragged popular wrestler and celebrity John Cena to court for breach of contract after the WWE superstar sold his 2017 Ford GT supercar. Cena “flipped” the rare vehicle for a profit in violation of his agreement with the Michigan-based manufacturer.

According to USA Today, Ford filed the lawsuit with the U.S. District Court in Michigan, alleging that Cena had violated his contract with the company which stated that he would not sell the car for two years. Cena purchased the vehicle for $463,376 in January of this year but only took possession of it several weeks ago.

The Ford GT was notoriously tough to get, and Ford reviewed applications from hopeful owners before selecting buyers for the showcase vehicle. The lawsuit stated that the former WWE champion presented himself to the company as a car enthusiast and a fan of the Ford brand. In his application, Cena reportedly included videos, photographs, and social media posts which showed him promoting and testing different luxury vehicles.

“Mr. Cena is a known car collector, and referenced numerous limited edition and high-end vehicles that he owned and collected at the time of his application, including a model year 2006 Ford GT,” the complaint stated.

Ford initially sold only 500 of the 2017 GT supercars and the bidding war was intense. In fact, Detroit News reported that the company received more than 6,500 applications for the limited edition vehicle. This figure actually represents the shortlist; there were over 10,500 entries total.

The lucky buyers were selected over a course of three months. Chosen buyers were notified by email. If a selected applicant failed to reply to five emails in a four month period, he would forfeit his chance to buy a 2017 Ford GT.

The complaint stated that the vehicle was delivered to Cena on Sept. 23, 2017. However, Ford soon learned that Cena flipped the car, or sold it for a profit, on Oct. 20, 2017. Ford claimed that the wrestling superstar made a profit in excess of $75,000 on the deal.

Ford claims that Cena admitted to the sale and that the wrestler apologized, saying that he needed to liquidate the vehicle to take care of some expenses. According to reports, Ford is seeking to buy the car back.